Green
by Hatake Ao
Summary: Akatsuki has fallen. Itachi is dead. Sasuke is back in the village under mysterious circumstances. But an unwelcome visitor threatens the fragile bonds between Konoha and Suna. And on a romantic holiday, too...
1. According to Plan

The leaves rustled slightly, which may seem like no idea, but a shinobi's ears hear differently. To them, the leaves could be anything, from tossed shuriken to the passing of another ninja.

If someone had to make a guess, and if they indeed guessed the latter, they would be rewarded justly, for indeed, a ninja had passed.

To the normal eye, one would see nothing, just a rustle here, a movement there. Nothing conspicuous. But a shinobi would see blurs of black, a set of feet, maybe hands as well. One blessed ironically with a bloodline trait such as the Byakugan or the Sharingan would see a figure clearly, flitting from branch to branch, settling down ever so gently, not making a single sound, and then taking flight again. A pair of feline-like amber eyes and messy grey hair would be among the most distinctive features among this strange youth, as he seemed no older than 19. A high traditional collar reached to just under his chin, and was trimmed with red that struck down the middle of his shirt, fastened at the chest with two brooches. A forehead protector was tied loosely around his neck, but as to what clan he belonged to was unknown, for his swift movements. What was remarkable about his outfit was that one side of the shirt was black, and the other was white, which applied to the long sleeves he wore under it, the black long sleeve under the white short sleeve and vice versa for the other side.

Another flash of pale skin, and he was gone, only to settle down on another branch for split seconds, and then depart it again.

Black shorts fell to his shins, clutching to the leg at the hem so as not to be baggy. A shuriken holder was on his left leg, signaling that he was left-handed, or just preferred to reach across his body to obtain a weapon of choice. Black fishnet shorts slightly poked out under the black ones, and traditional shinobi sandals covered the rapid feet, which were constantly in motion as of late.

As he moved through the trees, something stirred within him. In the darkness, a pair of eyes appeared, long and slender with yellow pupils.

"It seems that it is time…" 

The youth moving through the trees was traveling quite smoothly when suddenly, he clutched his right shoulder and broke pace by slipping on a branch. Quickly recovering, he landed on the ground feet-first, but the pain erupting in his shoulder was evident to see. Trembling slightly, but not making a sound except for gasped breathing, he sat under a tree, massaging his shoulder gently to try and make the pain go away.

"No…" he whispered in a breathless tone. "Not…here…"

From out of nowhere, he snarled at nothing in particular, showing off slightly pointy teeth, yet white nonetheless. Shaking more violently, he gasped for air as the pain in his shoulder increased. A deep laughter came out of the thoughts in his mind, and suddenly, everything went black.

* * *

"Sasuke-kun! Where are you going?"

It was midday in the bustling Hidden-In-Leaves village, and the day was a reason why. Today was Tanbata, the traditional holiday of romance, and the villagers and ninja were preparing by setting up decorations and activities for that night's festivities.

The voice came from Sakura, a spirited Medical-Nin who was now shouting after a black-haired young man who was walking in the opposite direction. He turned around at the mention of his name, his black eyes glinting in the summer sun. The body language he displayed was one of sheer nonchalance: hands shoved in pant pockets, slouched position, careless swagger. He was all the makings of an arrogant man, yet he was one of the best that the village had to offer. The last surviving member of his clan, he had something to prove. Ever since he returned to Hidden-In-Leaves a mere two years beforehand, free from Ochimaru's curse under mysterious and unknown circumstances, he had been more laid-back than he had been when he had lived there.

"I'm going to the Hokage, if you don't mind," he stated simply, turning to leave again, but was stopped abruptly by the pink-haired Med-Nin appearing in front of him.

"You have work to do, you know. This festival won't benefit from slackers like you," she retorted, hands on her hips. The comment brought a smirk to Sasuke's face, and the corners of his lips turned upwards slightly, signaling his amusement. Placing a hand on her shoulder, he looked her squarely in the eyes.

"I'll be back in an hour or so. Besides, it's urgent." And flicking Sakura's nose, he left swiftly, leaving Sakura baffled. After recovering from the slight stupor that Sasuke's departure had placed her in, she started yelling.

"Sasuke! Get back here, you fool!"

Giving up, she walked back to the clinic, thinking as she went.

He sure has changed. After he killed his brother, it's as if this heavy burden was lifted from him. He's so carefree and relaxed, not to mention a pain in the ass as well.

Smirking at the comparison to the sulky preteen Sasuke and the happy-go-lucky jounin he was today, she entered the double doors of the clinic and was swept away in her profession.

Bent over his desk, the Sixth Hokage was lost in his work. He stopped every now and then to scratch his head and to brush the blonde hair out of his eyes. Every now and then he would pick up the chopsticks next to the documents and plunge them into a large white bowl, pulling out ramen and devouring it with the ferocity of a starving child, which resulted in miso drops falling onto the sacred texts.

The door opening abruptly shocked him, and he promptly fell off his chair, the chopsticks clattering to the floor.

"Aaaaiiiiieeee!"

All was silent, then a warm laugh erupted from the doorway. Sasuke was standing there, laughing so hard that he was propping himself up against the doorframe.

"You are so easy to scare, you big chicken!"

Grumbling, Naruto returned to his desk, hunching over his work and refusing to look up. Sasuke walked over to the desk, picking up the chopsticks and twirling them in his fingers as he strode. With a flick of his wrist, they were embedded into the wall behind Naruto, but he never flinched.

"You trying to kill me?"

"If I wanted to kill you, wouldn't I have done it by now?"

Naruto thought about this for a moment, then sighed. "I suppose, but then again, I am so talented, maybe you just can't."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He proceeded to pull the chopsticks out of the wall and replace them in the ramen bowl.

"You know, we've got recent sightings of a youth in black and red. Think it could be---?"

"No way. You and I took care of them. All of them."

The two contemporaries looked at eachother softly. Scratching his whiskered cheek a little, Naruto grinned. "Those were some fun days, eh?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah."

Both were silent for a minute, then Naruto spoke.

"Whoever this kid is, find him. We don't want any trouble. It's been peaceful for so long…"

Sasuke nodded. "I understand. I'll notify Neji and his guard." He made to go for the door, and stopped at the threshold.

"By the way, Naru-kun, the emissaries from Hidden-In-Sand have arrived. And you spilled some miso on that text on forbidden arts."

Noticing the latter, Naruto's jaw dropped, as Sasuke left with a chuckle.

"I'll guess I'll just send them in," he said, as the sounds of his footsteps faded down the hallway, only to be replaced with three more sets. They stopped in front of the door, and opened it casually, striding in.

Naruto was busy trying to blot the miso from the papers, and so he failed to notice this foreign trio. Someone clearing their throat soon solved that, as he looked up again. Realizing who the visitors were, a broad grin broke out on his face. Getting up, he strode over to them, and clasped the first one with a huge hug.

"It's great to see you!"

"Get off me, Naruto."

A deep, emotionless voice spoke from the figure, and Naruto backed up a little, grinning sheepishly at the Kazekage that stood before him, about a head taller than him. His cold green eyes surveyed the shorter Fire Shadow with mock contempt, and as always, his arms were crossed. A huge gourd adorned his back, held on with a broad leather strap that raced from around his left shoulder, across his stomach and around his right side. The blonde-haired woman that accompanied him sighed and ran her fingers through her long hair in exasperation.

"Gaara, that is no way to talk to our host, not to mention the Hokage!"

Gaara turned to her, a slight smile on his face, and flicked the shaggy red hair out of his eyes swiftly.

"Alright, big sister. Just playing around."

The final person out of the trio chuckled and patted the scrolls on his back absently. He looked different without his kabuki makeup on, and without his cat ear hood on. The second eldest of the three made to embrace the Sixth Hokage warmly.

"Naruto. It has been a while."

"So it has, Kankuro."

Naruto and Kankuro parted, and the fox demon host now turned to the blonde.

"Temari-chan, you are growing your hair out!"

The elder of the siblings blushed and looked at her shoes. "You noticed. Do you think Shikamaru-kun will?"

Naruto smiled warmly. It was no secret what those two had for eachother was nothing less than love. No wonder Temari had requested to visit on Tanbata. He merely nodded.

"He loves you no matter what, Temari-chan. And you look beautiful, long hair or short hair."

Temari giggled, then turned to her brothers.

"You two would NEVER say that to me!"

Kankuro looked at his younger brother, and they both exchanged looks. Gaara looked back at his older sister and smiled, a rare thing for the Wind Shadow to do.

"Elder sister, your beauty is something unspoken."

A collective gasp came from Temari accompanied by a look of shock. "That is..the nicest thing you have ever said to me."

The Kazekage merely kept smiling, but it was soon gone when his sister bear-hugged him, sobbing.

"Oh, Gaa-chan I love you so much!"

"Don't go all soppy on me now!"

Kankuro and Naruto merely laughed at the two. It seemed like everything was going according to plan.

* * *

The boy awoke under the tree, having only blacked out for half an hour or so. He gingerly felt his shoulder, which seemed to be alright, and made to get up. Suddenly, four blurs raced before his eyes to appear in front of him. Jounin from Hidden-In-Leaves.

The first one, a young man with long brown hair loosely tied in a ponytail at the middle of his back and strange white eyes spoke.

"What business do you have in Hidden-In-Leaves?"

The youth stood up, looking the Jounin square in his eyes, which suprisingly madethe latterflinch at the hardness in the former's eyes.

"I am visiting an old friend."

"I don't believe you."

"Suit yourself."

"Are you any relationship to Akatsuki or its sympathizers?"

"No."

The white-eyed Jounin turned to the others and nodded. "You can stay here, but be warned: ANBU will have its eyes on you."

Ao nodded, as the Jounin turned away. "Wait!" he said, and he stopped.

"What do you want now?"

"I want to know your name, if it isn't too much to ask."

The Jounin once again exchanged glances with the others, then stuck out his hand. "Hyuga Neji. Jounin of Hidden-In-Leaves. And yours?"

The youth shook his hand. "Hatake Ao, Jounin of Hidden-In-Mist." He motioned to the dark blue band around his neck, with the silver plate bearing his clan's mark. Neji was taken aback.

"Are you in relation to Hatake Kakashi?"

Ao laughed heartily, his eyes flashing with mirth.

"THE Kakashi? No, can't say that I am."

Neji nodded, and turned away from Ao.

"Good to meet you. Enjoy your stay."

With that, he and his crew disappeared, leaving Ao behind. When they were far enough away, the boy made a couple of katas and a cloud of mist appeared around him. When it settled, he was still there, but cloaked in a familiar black and red cloak. Black hair instead of grey hair fell to his shoulders, shaggy and messy, and the same amber eyes glared out from behind it. The Hidden-In-Mist band was replaced with a Sunagakure band around his neck inside his robes.

"Too easy," he said, and the demon inside him agreed.

Gansaku Shimei, 'Fake Name', the last surviving member of Akatsuki, was here to seek revenge on what had been wrought upon his clan, and to finish off what they had started.


	2. Fake Name

_Soft and strong. _

_Holding her until she felt she would overflow with emotion._

_Finally, he gave her what she wanted, as their lips met and drank eachother in._

_"You know he will come for me", he said as they parted. __She looked up at his eyes, so different from her own._

_"Consider this our last hurrah, then."_

_They joined together, knowing that it would not be this way ever again._

_At least, in this world._

* * *

The sun awoke Sakura from her dream, and she rubbed her eyes in fatigue. Was it morning already? she though, and rolled out of bed, slowly making her way to the bathroom, rubbing her lips thoughtfully. That dream...it seemed so real. She shook the images from her mind. It hurt to think of those times, since they were gone and everything. Closing the bathroom door behind her, she took off her pajamas and folded them up into a neat pile on the sink, then her underwear. Stepping into the shower, she let the hot water wash the dream's aftereffects off of her skin and her mind.

* * *

"This IS an interesting town, you know."

Ao stood in front of the Hokage, shifting from leg to leg casually while being looked over suspiciously by the Kyuubi host. Naruto was not alone in his office. Gaara was there, accompanied by Sakura, who had been asked to perform a physical on the strange newcomer. Feeling frustrated, Ao spoke, ending the silence.

"Are you done yet? I have some business to attend to and you are obstructing those tasks from being done."

Sakura gasped. "How dare you talk to the Hokage like that, when he was gracious enough to let you come here in the first place!"

Gaara narrowed his eyes in disgust at Ao's tone of voice. "If we were in Hidden-In-Sand--"

"But we aren't, are we?" Ao suddenly took on a cold tone, as if the subject ofthe Windvillagewas delicate grounds to be trodding on. Gaara's eyes widened with this disrespect, and he clenched his fists in anger. Naruto, on the other hand, ignored it. He peered at Ao, who glared back.

"Your name, please."  
"Hatake Ao, jounin from Hidden-In-Mist. And I swear, if I see one grain of sand come towards me, Kazekage, I will not hesitate to kill you right here and now."

Naruto looked over at Gaara, shocked. The latter had been taking out the cork of his gourd, but his hand stopped in midair. Ao wheeled around, his eyes like daggers. Gaara returned the look back. Sakura was just standing back, watching this masculine tension intensify.

They stared eachother down. Amber upon emerald. Mist upon sand.

Finally, Gaara looked away. "Sakura-chan, just perform the goddamn physical so he can get out of my sight."

Sakura willingly obliged and walked over to Ao, who was still glaring at Gaara with pure hatred. Only when Sakura asked for him to take off his shirt did he break his view to appease to themed-nin's demandings. Taking off his layered shirts, he rotated for Sakura as she examined him with some chakura. When she was finished, he replaced his shirts as Sakura gave her report.

"Well, he's fit, nothing wrong with him. A bit of resistance when it came to his arms, but I suppose that's just his tense attitude. He's not carrying anything dangerous as far as I can tell."

_They are so wrong,_ Ao thought. _They have no idea what I am carrying._

Naruto nodded his approval. "You have done a great job, Sakura-chan,"causing Sakura to blush. "Don't forget, lunch at the ramen stand, as usual," Sakura said, and Naruto nodded. The med-nin walked out the door, and her footsteps faded quickly.

Ao broke the silence once again. "Can I PLEASE leave now?"

Gaara glared at him, then at Naruto, who had been oddly quiet for some time now. He looked back at Gaara, then nodded at Ao, who promptly disappeared in a flash.

When Ao departed, Gaara slammed his fist down on the Hokage's desk most out of character. "Dammit, Naruto! Are you going to let him get away with those threats! Against your visitor! If this was Hidden-In-Sand, you KNOW I would do that for you! I would have him killed for even throwing you a look!" Rage was only one of the emotions visible on the Kazekage's face as he glared at his contemporary of the Fire land.

Naruto sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Hatake-san is right. We aren't in Hidden-In-Sand, but please forgive me for my lack of action while you were being verbally attacked." This sincere apology was topped off with an apologetic look towards Gaara, who immediately softened.

"Fine, Naruto-kun, but this runt needs to be watched. I don't like the looks of him, especially his eyes. They remind me of Sasori's..." The mention of the deceased Akatsuki member caused a new tension in the air since Ao's departure. Naruto looked at the ground, then back up at the Tanuki host. He recalled the amber fierceness in his eyes, which caused a entirely new memory to wash over him...

* * *

_The chidori pierced his flesh, right where his heart would be. He tried to block it, but it drilled a hole through his Akatsuki robes and flesh, sending a burning sensation across his skin. His body spun violently away and plummeted to the ground, where it lay motionless. Sasuke's hand was caked in blood, but it was not his own. Other assorted wounds covered his body, including a long gash across his chest, but whatever the younger suffered, the elder Uchiha took twofold._

_Landing next to his target, he grabbed the collar of the robes and hissed in his dying brother's face. "Now we are even." he spat, and the elder just glared. He glared until there was no motion in his mind and chest. And thenthose beautiful but so deadly redeyes faded to black, and then closed forever._

_The fight against Akatsuki was over. Kisame's body was dismembered violently, and Neji sat nursing his wounds. A motionless Ino was propped up against a tree, a glittering of red around her neck showing where a shuriken had ripped her a new mouth across her delicate skin. Other Akatsuki and jounin bodies littered the small clearing, but it was over finally. _

_Sakura's sobs broke the silence. Her eyes were frozen on the sight of Itachi's mangled body and Sasuke's blood-covered hands. But for which she lamented was unknown._

_A scream erupted from the corner of the field. An Akatsuki member was standing there, his eyes wide and glistening with tears. The amber shone hard through the locks of dirty black hair. Falling to his knees, he held his head in his hands and sobbed. "No..." he said, over and over again. "No, no, no, no..." His tattered robe fell from his thin frame, revealing a black teeshirt with black shorts with fishnet sleeves poking out._

_Neji made to lunge at the mysterious newcomer, but suddenly the latter snapped up, his eyes wide but his pupils small. With one swipe, Neji fell away, covered in his own blood. The cause was not a shuriken, but the Akatsuki's claws, similar to Naruto's when the kyuubi shone through in him. He stood up, grabbing his robes._

_"Hidden-In-Leaf, you will never catch me." The Hidden-In-Sand headband hung loosely around his neck, the scratch through the middle catching the light and reflecting it around him. "Gansaku Shimei, Fake Name, will never be caught by the likes of you." With that, he vanished, but his voice echoed around them._

_"My tsytsu says this is to be so."_

* * *

"Naruto?"

The Hokage started, turning back to the questioning Tanuki host. They both smiled at eachother.

"Lunch?" Naruto offered.

Green eyes with black rims contemplated this, and then nodded.

"Lunch," he said.


	3. Out to Lunch

Sakura waited patiently outside Ichiraku Ramen, but the exasperated expression and impatient tapping of her foot, not to mention her crossed arms, spoke otherwise.

Sasuke appeared in a swirl of wind next to her, startling the pink-haired kuonichi. "Geez!" she exclaimed, trying to gather her dignity around her again. "Don't be such a show-off."

Sasuke merely grinned, pleased that he had thrown the med-nin off balance a bit. "Where's Naruto?" he inquired, looking around and taking a similar-but-more-masculine stance of Sakura's. "He's late...as usual."

Sakura didn't have long before another appearing figure swirled on the other side of her. Jumping again, right into Sasuke, the med-nin shrieked in suprise. But it wasn't who they were waiting for.

Ao stood outside the ramen stand, his head slightly cocked to the side. "I am starving," he said, to no one in particular, and lifted the flaps to the stand.

"Welcome to Ichiraku Ramen! How may I help you?"

"You have any hummus and pita?" These words sparked Sasuke's intrigue, and he listened in more.

"We don't, just ramen. You from Hidden-In-Sand?"

"No. I went there once, though."

If Sasuke could only see the expression on Ao's face, he would immediately know otherwise.

"Would you like some ramen instead?"

"Sure. A bowl of miso ramen, please."

"Alright then!" The sounds of the cooker could be heard through the flimsy 'doors'.

Just when Sakura had recovered from the two unexpected entrances, a third and fourth appeared, and it was indeed Gaara and Naruto, the former looking quite emotionless, the latter quite starving. "Boy, am I hungry!" the blonde exclaimed, grinning and rubbing his stomach as if to prove his statement.

The Hidden-In-Mist jounin's ears pricked up after hearing the familiar tones. He, however, did not move. It was as if he sensed the conflict and did nothing to stop it from happening.

Naruto opened the flap to his favorite restaurant and immediately saw Ao's backside, completley tuning out the happy greeting from the cook.

"Welcome, Hokage-sama!"

"Wha? What is HE doing here!"

As important as he was, Naruto still had some growing up to do. His face was in the expression of a pout, and he sulkily pointed at Ao, who had turned around in the process. "Yes? Is there something I can do for you, _Hokage_?" The drawn-out pronunciation of Naruto's title was none other than contempt and annoyance for the small Kyuubi host. The Kazekage immediately stepped in, his anger for the visitor rekindled.

"You will be wise to apologize to the Hokage, or I will make you do so."

Ao stood up, and faced the Sand ninja. "And how will you do that?" For the second time today, each tried to stare eachother down.

Sasuke sensed the growing animosity and stepped inbetween the two. He turned to Gaara first. "Stop it, Gaara, he isn't worth your time." He then turned to Ao. "I suggest that you should be kinder towards the Hokage AND the Kazekage," he said, gesturing to Gaara. Ao looked at Sasuke for a minute, then he looked down. "You're right." Looking back up at Naruto, he bowed slightly. "Hokage-sama, please forgive my attitude towards you, even on such a holiday. I had no right to take a tone with you." He then turned to Gaara, whose face was one of pure shock from the apology made to Naruto. "Kazekage-sama, I also apologize for trying to start a fight with you. I should be more respective of those of higher rank than I." Ao also bowed towards the Tanuki host as well, then sat back down and began on the ramen that the shocked chef had lain before him during the encounter.

Naruto was speechless. So was Gaara. They both looked at eachother, and finally Gaara spoke.

"If you accept his apology, then I do too."

"I do accept it. It IS Tanbata, after all!"

Sakura, who had been watching this whole time, squealed in delight. "Tanbata!" she said joyously. "The most romantic day of the year!" She slung her arm around Sasuke while giving him a look. The Uchiha just smirked and sat down, leaving Sakura to have her arm around...no one. She sat down next to him, and Gaara and Naruto sat on the other side of Ao. Naruto grinned at Ao, who shakily returned the smile.

"So, Ao, do you know of Tanbata?"

The amber-eyed jounin looked down at his ramen and smiled. "I do, yes. I visited Hidden-In-Leaves when I was a child once, during Tanbata. It was magical, something I will never forget." Ao looked up at Sasuke, peering at his eyes curiously. "You are an Uchiha, yes?" he inquired, gesturing to his eyes. Sasuke nodded. "How could you tell, Ao-san?"

Ao's smile faded. "You...you look just like your brother. I'm sorry to say that, and I know it must anger you, but...you do." Sasuke's expression was unreadable, somewhere between shocked and bitter. "And how would you know how my brother looked?" the Uchiha asked, his eyes showing suspicion. Ao looked down at his ramen bowl again. "Many of my friends fell to that bastard. And to his partner, Kisame, as well. I heard that you killed him personally. Is that true?" Sasuke merely nodded. Ao breathed a sigh of relief. "Then I can know that the butcher of so many innocents was killed. Quite ironically, too..."

During Ao and Sasuke's talk, Naruto had devoured four bowls of ramen, and Gaara was looking at him with a look of sheer amazement. "You know that is sick, don't you?" he said, eyeing the four clean white bowls laying next to the Hokage as he polished off his fifth. Naruto merely grinned, then ordered a sixth.

A med-nin dressed in white suddenly entered and kneeled down next to Sakura, whispering something in her ear. Sakura got up after the med-nin had delivered her message and left. "You guys, I gotta run. The hospital needs me, as does the Tanbata decorating squad. See you later!" She walked out of the small stand, three farewell voices echoing in her departure.

Gaara and Naruto stood up, the former having not eaten anything, but the latter finishing eight bowls of ramen. "We've probably gotta go too, imporant Kazekage/Hokage things to do, you know." Sasuke and Ao nodded in their wake as they walked back to Naruto's office.

"Well, what do I do now?" Ao leaned back slightly in his chair, his hands folded behind his head. Sasuke looked at him for a minute, then grinned. "Wanna train?" he asked, looking at the Mist ninja. Ao looked at him, then grinned.

"Let's go. I'd like to see what that Sharingan can do in a battle."

* * *

He slowly flipped the pages in the orange book with the red caution sign on the back. "Hehehe," he said quietly, hoping no one would hear him--

**"KAKASHI-SENSEI, COME HELP RIGHT NOW!"**

The grey-haired jounin sat up with a start. "Damn, I thought my hiding skills would have prevailed," he said, turning around to face a very angry Sakura. He sighed, put his book away, and plugged his ears with his fingers as she began to scream.

**"YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE A LOT TO DO, AND WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU'RE READING PERVY BOOKS, FOR GOODNESS' SAKES! GET BACK TO WORK YOU LAZY PERVERT!"**

Grumbling, the 'copy ninja' went back to hanging love prayers on the Tanbata tree.

* * *

Sasuke was panting, laying on the ground. Ao was kneeling on him, pinning him to the ground and holding a shuriken to his neck, grinning. "The amber eyes triumph again!" he exclaimed, and let the Uchiha up, sheathing his kunai knife.

"Dammit, Ao, you are too fast!" Ao bowed in thanks for this recognition. "Thanks."

Sasuke grinned at Ao, who returned the gesture. "Wanna head back for some tea?"

Ao nodded. "Sure, I'll catch up in a second." Sasuke nodded and disappeared in a whirl of wind.

As soon as Ao thought that Sasuke was far enough away, Ao ran into the surrounding trees and performed some katas, transforming back into his original form.

"Dammit," growled Gansaku, as he rubbed his head thoughfully, leaning against a tree. "I can't keep this extended disguise up for long. Gotta take him out, and fast." He closed his eyes slowly, and darkness overtook his senses.

He was standing in a dark room, and a pair of amber eyes appeared in the darkness, large and looming over his figure.

_What do you want now? Your stupid jutsu is using up yours and my chakura._

"I'm sorry, Setsuna. I will try to be more tactful."

_You'd better. This Uchiha whelp, shall we take him out now?_

"No. Not yet. I have my eyes on that Hyuga brat."

_Good, good. I am thirsting for bloodshed already!_

"Still your bloodlust for now, Setsuna. We will strike soon."

Gansaku looked down at his arms quickly. There were two seals in each shoulder, snaking down his biceps and ending at his forearms.

_Thinking of the day where we became one, young Gansaku?_

"If only Itachi and the other knew. They had a demon host right under their noses the whole time."

_If only._


	4. Runaway

Fireworks lit up the night sky over Hidden-In-Leaves, causing 'ooo's and 'ahhhh's to ripple out of the gathered crowd. The city was aglow with lantern night and festivities, celebrating the night of Tanbata. But the _piece de resistance_ truly was the Tanbata tree, decorated with lanterns and love prayers, standing proudly in the middle of the happenings. Many were gathered around it, the usual couples, including Shikamaru and Temari, who were looking at the fireworks in the sky and holding hands happily. The Sand kunoichi nudged the shadow shinobi slightly in the shoulder, and he looked down on her and smiled warmly, pausing to run a hand through her long hair, then tugged her over towards the town square.

The town square was cleared for a dance floor for young and old couples, and many had taken advantage of that fact and were dancing slowly, revolving under the soft glow of lanterns and candles. Sasuke was dancing with Sakura, but they were at a safe distance from eachother, as not to convey a romantic air about them. Naruto had asked Hinata to dance with him, and she was now doing so with a very red blush on her face. Temari and Shikamaru now joined the rest and over the latter's shoulder, Temari smiled at Naruto, as if to say, _You were right, he loves my hair_. The Hokage did what he does best: he merely grinned back.

However, the Kazekage was nowhere to be seen. While his siblings enjoyed the fanfare of a carnival, he was in his private quarters, thinking solemnly. Many thoughts raced across his mind: Hidden-In-Sand, alliances, enemies, and that strange Hatake Ao. There was something about him, something that reminded him of someone he knew a long time ago...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Eight years ago..._

"You know what your mission is."

It was right before the Chuunin exam, and the location was in Hidden-In-Sand, in the Yondaime Kazekage's chambers. The Kazekage himself was seated at his desk, glaring coldly at the genin in front of him. He did not think of his three children, who were also standing before him. He thought solely of the youth next to them. The youth in question was standing next to one of the Kazekage's children, the one with red hair and black-rimmed eyes. Gansaku Shimei, that was his name. He glared back at the Kazekage with the same ferocity in his young amber eyes, and flicked the black strands of hair out of his eyes with a swift movement of the neck. He was clothed in a black form-fitting traditional long sleeved shirt that buckled at the front, and his sleeves were rolled up to the forearm, exposing the white lining on the inside. The village headband was slung lazily around his neck, the silver plate on a black sash rather than a dark blue one. He had bandages wrapped around his legs, which were just visible between black shorts and black sandals. His hands were at his sides, one fingerless gloved hand fidgeting with his shuriken holder, the other gloved hand at his side. His stance radiated a sense of boredom and an attitude that screamed 'I don't care!', and the Yondaime didn't like it one bit. Narrowing his eyes, he got up and walked to Gansaku, towering over him. The young ninja returned the look, and then, with a voice lined with venom, he did the unthinkable.

"Something wrong?"

Without warning, the Sand village head struck him across the face. When Gansaku's face was visible again, the irises of his eyes had gotten alarmingly small, and a murderous look was on his face, along with a bleeding cut across his left eye. Triumphant, the Kazekage strode back to his seat, smirking.

"There was something wrong. Now everything's alright."

Still glaring at the Yondaime, Gansaku strode out of the room without a moment's hesitation. Many looked at his departure in amazement, including the boy who was standing next to him, the Kazekage's youngest son. Never had he seen someone stand up to his father in such a way, and live to tell the tale.

When he asked his sensei about it before their departure for the Fire shinobi village, he merely laughed and said that Gansaku Shimei had not been seen since that meeting in the village and that it was most likely that he left Hidden-In-Sand for good. The sensei had also added that Gansaku's face would was not healed, and that it probably never would.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gaara shook his head. He had dismissed it as just someone who would eventually come back begging for forgiveness, but Gansaku never came back. He joined Akatsuki and was still alive. A look of worry came over the Kazekage's face. Perhaps Gansaku knew that the Yondaime who gave him that scar was not the Kazekage, but Orochimaru, and had gotten his revenge? It seemed that Gaara would never find out until they met face-to-face. And personally, after all the gruesome stories of the one they called 'Fake Name', he hoped they never would.

Meanwhile, on the other side of town, another was lost in thought. Ao was staring out his window at the fireworks in the sky, running a hand through his hair now and again. As if it was a shadow, his hair began to fade to black, beginning at the roots, and a scar formed over his left eye. Only the amber eyes did not change.

"I wonder where that Hyuuga brat is," Gansaku snarled, as he looked around his room. The Uchiha had offered him a room at his household, and 'Ao' had taken it gladly. Now, as 'Fake Name' jumped out the window, his red-and-black cloak billowing around him, he only had one thought on his mind:

Revenge. As soon as possible.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_He swiftly ran through the forest, hot tears of anger coursing down his face. That bastard! Scarring him in front of everyone! And it wasn't even the real Kazekage! The young Shimei didn't know who it was, but he saw something strange around the aura of the Yondaime. Rubbing his newly-gained scar, (which would become a habit later on, even if he was in disguise) he made a vow to himself: Never return to Hidden-In-Sand. Then, kill whoever that fake Kazekage was._

His thoughts were soon interrupted when he collided with another figure, only the genin fell to the ground, rubbing his face of tears. He thought for sure that it was a Jonin from Hidden-In-Sand, but when he looked up, all he saw was a black-and-red cloak with clouds, and red, red eyes...

"How convenient for you to run into me, Gansaku Shimei."

Then, darkness.


	5. Intentions Revealed

((This chapter starts out eight years ago, just as the last one ended.))

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"Gansaku."

A voice called his name. Was it the Kazekage? Another Jounin? With his eyes still closed, one hand reached up to rub his scar. And then a horrible feeling arose in his stomach as he realized that he could not move. He refused to open his eyes now.

"If you don't open your eyes I will rip your eyelids off so you can do so. You were only supposed to sleep for six hours."

That voice. It was the voice he ran into. With the black and red cloak and mysterious red eyes that made him drowsy when he looked into them. Slowly but surely he cracked one lid open, a small shard of amber visible. His other eye followed suit, and he looked up at the the cloaked figure. "Who..."

"Silence," the figure said smoothly, and Gansaku obeyed. A smirk formed on the former's face. "You probably have many questions, however, I am not here to answer them and I would not want to do so anyhow. But my leader would have a word with you. So get up."

Gansaku found that he could move again. He took the time to take in his surroundings. Cold floor. Candlelit room. Barred door. This was some kind of prison. Pushing himself into a standing position, he dusted his shirt off lightly and took in the tall young man who had brought him here. He had raven black hair that was so dark, it only partially reflected the candlelight. His eyes were red, red with pinwheels of black. The cloak had a red trim and red clouds on the lower portion, and fell to the man's knee. Leggings partially covered the traditional sandals that were the colour of the village headband he wore around his forehead, the deep scratch almost a shout against the leaf-shaped village emblem.

"Come on," the figure now said, startling Gansaku out of his observation. "We haven't got all day." His voice was emotionless, as if he had no soul. As if...he had never felt anything in a day of his life. Gansaku shuddered as he walked out the barricaded door that the mysterious man had opened, walking down a hallway to a wood door at the end. It was made of wood and was flanked by torches and yet another cloaked being, who was leaning on the wall, his arms crossed. This figure was much taller than the first, with a demonic look to him. He had pale blue skin and small gills close to his darting eyes. Gansaku recognized his headband, also with a scratch through the village's emblem, as to be from the Mist village.

"He's been waiting for you, Itachi," this new character spoke in a menancing growl, very unlike his contemporary, who almost was meticulous in making sure that he let no emotion out whatsoever, as if the very utterance of a worry would weaken him greatly.

"I know," the newly-named Itachi said, not even looking at the other. "Had Gansaku hurried instead of analyzing his surroundings so slowly, we would have been on time." The Mist ninja, at hearing this, snickered drily. Gansaku felt the blood rise to his cheeks in a blush. So, he had noticed.

Itachi went to open the door, wrapping one pale hand around the handle and pulling. Gansaku noticed the purple manicure before there was a large noise of resistance, and then the door opened. Itachi held the door open, but did not move to enter. He instead turned to the young Sand ninja. "This is where we part ways," he stated simply, and gestured for him to enter. With trembling hands, Gansaku walked in shakily, and he was not two feet into the room before the door slammed behind him, causing him to jump violently.

Pausing before he walked again, Gansaku also took the time to take in his surroundings once more. The room was dark, and he couldn't see five feet in front of him, except for one candle that was lit at the far end of the room.

"Gansaku Shimei," said a voice etched with craftiness and power. It came from where the candle was. "Come."

The shinobi did as he was bade, walking slowly to the other side of the room. As he did, the light got brighter and he could see another cloaked figure perched in a chair. The candle was positioned so that the details of this mysterious man's face could not be seen at all. Only his eyes were visible, shining out across the darkness into Gansaku's amber ones. A laugh began slowly from the figure as he blinked once, twice, again.

"You might wonder why you are here."  
Gansaku merely nodded.  
"Well, first, let me introduce myself. I am the master of this facility that you find yourself in. And these cloaks?" The man tugged at his own in example. "Well, they are a symbol of the most feared organization that everyone calls Akatsuki."  
As soon as he said those last words, the breath in Gansaku's chest hitched. Akatsuki. Everyone spoke their name with the utmost fear. They were a murderous organization with various powerful missing-nin, whose intentions were unclear.  
Finding the courage to speak, he looked hard at the man, attempting to appear indifferent and unfazed by this new information.  
"So, you would be their leader, I perhaps?"  
The man laughed again. "They did not lie when they said you were clever. However, I have also heard that your comments are even more so."  
"What shall I address you as?"  
The man stopped laughing. "That leads us to our next order of buisiness. You see, we hear that you are quite strong in body and mind. Actually, we know that you are."  
"I don't understand what this has to do with me and Akatsuki."  
The man began to laugh again. "Well, it just so happens that we have a great gift to dispose upon you, providing that you are up to the task...Actually, you don't have a choice. You can accept this offer, or die."

Gansaku didn't speak. He was lost in thought. What could this man possibly want with him? Was it just that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time? And what was this gift he wanted to give to him? He spoke again.  
"What does this have to do with how I should address you?"  
The figure stood up, walking over to where Gansaku was standing. "Because this offer I am extending to you would have you call me 'Sir Leader'."  
A pain of realization crossed Gansaku. "You would have me join Akatsuki!"  
The man shook his head. "Yes and no. But, do you accept?"  
Gansaku was afraid. For the very first time in his life, he was trembling from head to toe in fear of being killed. "I...I...I accept."  
The man looked into Gansaku's eyes and smiled, an action that was not visible in the present situation. "Wise choice." He then took grip of Gansaku's either shoulder, and spun him around, to where the Sand shinobi was met once again with red eyes.

"You will sleep...for 12 hours."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Eight figures, eight cloaked members of Akatsuki stood around a young boy, who was unconcious. A statue blindfolded individual towered over all of them. The one cloaked figure at the head of the circle spoke.

"It will take three days and three nights to complete this reverse extraction..."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_Three days later_

Burning. A burning sensation in his arms. And a constant pinging in his ears. His head ached. His eyed stung. He licked his lips and tasted blood. What was happening to him?

"You're lucky you're alive, Gansaku-kun."

A voice rang out over him. It was one he had never heard before. He opened his eyes, but only saw white. Silly, he thought. Your eyes are bandaged so you can't see whoever is speaking. He made to speak, but a hand covered his mouth, wiping the blood off his lips and sighing.

"Coughing up blood again? You are very strong to take that kind of jutsu, Gansaku-kun."

What kind of jutsu? Gansaku thought. The bandages over his eyes were lifted away and the light shone through. Gansaku immediately squeezed his eyes shut at the brightness of the light overhead.

The voice chuckled. "Come on now, it isn't that bright. Your eyes are just...more enhanced. Here, let me turn it off." Footsteps moved away from him, a clicking noise, and then the footsteps came back to him. Gansaku opened his eyes.

A man was standing over him, with a smile on his face. He had reddish brown hair and heavy-lidded eyes that had an unusual colour to them. When he saw that Gansaku was looking at him, his smile widened slightly. "You had quite a time."

Gansaku looked down at himself. He was on a large bed in a well-furnished room, with bookshelves and a desk. He soon realized that he was not wearing a shirt, and that his arms were bandaged with seals holding the bandages in place. Rubbing his scar, he looked back up at the other shinobi, who was looking at his neck.

"So you're from Sand, too...I'm from Sand." He gestured to himself. When he did so, his sleeves hitched slightly so that his wrists were visible. A line ran all the way around it, almost as if the hand was one of a...puppet. Gansaku thought of Kankuro and something he had said about who had made his puppets...

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

_"Who crafted these?" Gansaku inquired, as he ran one hand over the frame of Crow, one of Kankuro's favorite puppets. At the mention of his weapon's maker, Kankuro's face darkened. "They say he was a highly skilled puppeteer. He made his own puppets, hundreds of them. But he started making human puppets. He made living people into his own weapons. And then he left."_

"How long ago was this?" the younger shinobi inquired, still absorbed in marveling at the fine craftsmanship of Crow. Kankuro thought for a moment, and then replied with a quiet, "20 years. His name was Sasori."

"Sasori of the Red Sands."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Gansaku looked again at the smiling man standing over him. He wasn't...he couldn't be...

"Are you...Sasori? The Sasori of the Red Sands?"  
The man looked down at him, suprised, then laughed.  
"I am flattered that Hidden-In-Sand would even let their children know about me. Yes, I am, to answer your question." Cocking his head, his tone got more devious. "Did they tell you what I used to do to people?"  
Gansaku nodded quickly, a chill of fear running down his back.

Suddenly, the door at the other end of the room burst open, and a kunai flew in, aimed at Gansaku. He tried to block it, but his arms were weak and throbbing with pain. Closing his eyes, he turned away, bracing for the death blow.

But nothing happened. Cracking one eye open, he looked in front of him and was amazed. An water shield had formed in front of him, in which the kunai was suspended. It slowly faded away, and the kunai dropped harmlessly inbetween Gansaku's legs on the bed.

Looking up at the doorway, Gansaku saw Itachi there, his arm still outstretched from throwing the projectile. For a moment, he thought he saw a look of suprise on Itachi's face, but it was gone a split second later. "So the reverse extraction worked," he said simply. The blue-skinned man was behind him, only this time a massive wrapped sword was on his back.

"Kisame and I are running an errand," Itachi stated simply, gesturing to the shinobi behind him. "Sasori, make sure he gets food and water. Especiall the latter. After all, he is now considered a jinchuuriki." With a small cough that sounded more like a laugh, he closed the door, and the pair of footsteps echoed dimly down the hall.

Gansaku looked up at Sasori, who had just got done nodding at Itachi's instruction. "What...what does he mean that I am 'now considered a jinchuuriki'?" Sasori looked down at him, cocking his head and closing one eye.

"It means that you now have a tailed demon inside of you. Setsuna of the Four Waters, to be exact, who is a dragon." The red-haired Akatsuki member fell into mumbling to himself as it finally hit Gansaku. He had a demon. But how? Don't people die from that sort of thing, sealing demons in people? He wondered if the Leader--Sir Leader was still alive.

Before he could ask, a sudden lightheadness washed over him. His brain seemed to be telling him to sleep, but as his eyes closed, he knew it was the voice of another dwelling much deeper inside of him.


End file.
